Former Lance Armstrong Tour de France teammate from Dearborn says he knew about icon's drug use

A former teammate of Lance Armstrong's from Dearborn isn't surprised that news is finally out about the cycling icon's use of performance-enhancing drugs. Associated Press

DETROIT, MI - A former Tour de France teammate of Lance Armstrong with ties to Metro Detroit isn't surprised that word is out about the cycling icon's performance-enhancing drug use.

Dearborn resident Frank Andreu, a 46-year-old who assisted on Armstrong's 1999 and 2000 Tour de France winning teams, said Wednesday in an interview with WJBK-TV (Fox 2 in Detroit) that he knew his teammate was using drugs back in 1996.

"A doctor asked him if he had been taking any performance-enhancing drugs," said Andreu, referring to a visit the then cancer-stricken Armstrong had with a medical professional that year. "He ran off a slew of like five of them, and so it was kind of like our eyes popped out of our head. It was shocker."

Attempts Wednesday morning by Mlive Detroit to reach Andreu to expand on his Armstrong doping claims were unsuccessful. A message was left on his answering machine.

Armstrong is expected to make his doping confessions to Oprah Winfrey at 9 p.m Thursday during a two-part interview that's set to air on her OWN network.

Andreu said in the FOX 2 interview that he told the truth in court about Armstrong's drug use in 2006 and ended up paying the price for his honesty.

Andreu's testimony in court was part of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's lengthy investigation about Armstrong's performance-enhancing drug use.

"I didn’t want to go to jail, so I chose to tell the truth," Andreu told FOX 2.

What kind of price did Andreu pay for telling it?

Andreu claimed in the interview he was practically black-balled from the entire sport because he didn't have Armstrong's back.

"He sent out to protect his name, which meant destroying anybody that crossed his path," Andreu said. "And of course, we were in that path. I lost my job in 2000; I wasn’t re-hired by the team I was with."

More from Andreu on the backlash he received that he claims Armstrong engineered:

"Yeah it was connected to him," Andreu said. "He's very influential in cycling, and so, with many other jobs they just didn’t come around because you either supported Lance Armstrong or you believed the truth."

Andreu told FOX 2 that he will watch the Armstrong interview and will keep his head held up high knowing he's stood by the truth about his former teammate all these years.

"I didn’t believe it," said Andreu, laughing when asked about Armstrong's anticipated confession to doping. "It's been a long time coming.

"Instead of walking around kind of humped over, not knowing or sure how the reaction of other people is going to be, I can hold my head up high, you know, because I told the truth. And the truth has come out."